


A Whole New World

by brown_girl_magic



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:28:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25835755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brown_girl_magic/pseuds/brown_girl_magic
Summary: She stumbles upon a new world; how will she ever make it back home? Will she WANT to go home by the end?*Excluding some original characters, all characters and places belong to Sarah J. Maas*A/N: Hi everyone! This story is my first ever fan-fiction I am publishing! I am nervous, but excited for you guys to read it! Any constructive criticism and helpful tips are welcome. Rude comments/bullying are not! Enjoy!
Relationships: Azriel (ACoTaR)/Original Character(s), Elain Archeron/Lucien Vanserra, Morrigan (ACoTaR)/Original Character(s), Nesta Archeron/Cassian
Comments: 12
Kudos: 74





	1. Chapter 1

“Why would you bring her here?” I heard an angry whisper. I opened my eyes slightly and saw only a fireplace lighting the room. There wasn’t much furniture, just the couch I was laying on and two more chairs. In the far end of the room, towards the door, stood two figures, one male one female.

  
“I wasn’t going to leave her there!” The female voice whispered back.

  
“She is awake,” A third voice said. I tried to find the source of it but couldn’t see it. The two figures turned and came towards me. I rubbed my dry eyes, silently cursing my contacts. I sat up, and my head throbbed. The woman sat down next to me.

  
“How are you feeling?” She asked softly. Finally, I could make them out. She was beautiful; her blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders. The male stood towering over them, with a frown on his face. He was also impressive, blue-black hair contrasted by bright violet eyes.

  
“I’m okay, I think. My head is pounding, though,” I replied. I looked around the room; nothing looked familiar, “Where am I? What happened?”

  
“You’re in Velaris. What do you remember?”

  
“Um, I was lost. There was this…bear? Wolf? I don’t know, but it was some kind of animal. And then I fell, I think. I must’ve hit my head. Wait…Velaris? How far from Boston is that? I’ve never heard of it.” I tried to stand, but the room began to spin, so I sat back down.

  
“Azriel and I were hunting a Martax. We were lucky to find you before it ripped you to shreds.” The female took my hand as if to comfort me. I stared at her. The things she was saying weren’t making any sense.

  
“Thank you, I think?” I looked to the male, who I assumed was Azriel, “And thanks for not leaving me out there, Azriel.”

  
“I’m not Azriel.” The male said coldly. The female laughed. Another man appeared out of the shadows, and I gawked at him. He had massive bat-like wings protruding from his back. I turned to face the female and the first male again. I realized that the first male had long pointed ears, and so did the female. _What the FUCK is going on_ , I thought to myself.

  
“I’m Azriel,” said the shadow man with the wings. I tried to ignore his wings because I was sure I was hallucinating. Azriel was one of the most attractive men I had ever seen in my life. I was lost for words and just stared in response.

  
“I’m Morrigan.” The female said to me. I peeled my gaze from Azriel to the female.

  
“Morgan. I’m Krishna.” I repeated, thankfully, a name I recognized. She shook her head.

  
“Not Mor-gan. Mor-ih-gan. But most people call me Mor.” She smiled. I continued to stare from Mor to Azriel to the violet-eyed male and back with my mouth slightly open. I had nothing to say. Nothing made any sense. I didn’t know where I was, who these people were. I was sure I was hallucinating.

  
“Umm, question. Am I the only one seeing those wings?” I choked out. Mor looked at Azriel then at the other male. I knew it; I was hallucinating. I must have hit my head too hard, and now I was bleeding internally.

  
“He is Illyrian. They all have wings.” Mor tentatively told me. From the expression on her face, it was something I should have known. I took a deep breath. _Think, think. How does this all make sense?_

  
“Oh! You guys are LARPing, right?” It was the only thing that made any sense. I had to hand it to them; their costumes were amazingly realistic.

  
“What in the name of the Cauldron is ‘LARPing’?” The unnamed male asked.

  
“Oh, right, you guys can’t break character. Umm, thank you for saving me from the…’martax.’ I must be getting home now.” I stood, slower this time, and reached for my bag. It was next to the couch I had been laying on; I grabbed it and made for the door. The male stood in front of me and didn’t move.

  
“You should answer the question.” He gave a lazy grin, but his eyes looked menacing. I gulped.

  
“LARPing…is, um, Live-action role-playing. People get dressed up in costumes from fantasy worlds or a different historical period and act like their characters,” I explained.

  
“You think we are wearing costumes?” Amusement laced his tone.

  
“Either that or I am seriously hallucinating and need to go to the hospital.”

  
There was a soft knock on the door. “Rhys?” a voice called from behind it. The man in front of me, Rhys, opened the door slightly and vanished behind it. He moved so quickly; I could barely make anything out on the other side of the door. I was left in the room with Mor and Azriel. I turned to both of them, and they stared back at me. Probably the same look I was giving them. If this had been a few years ago, I would’ve believed that I had entered an alternate world, but that is impossible. That only happened in books and movies, right?

  
“This is real?” I dared to ask them. Azriel looked at Mor then at me. He didn’t need to say anything for me to know it was real. I flopped back onto the couch, hands over my face. “What the hell?” I mumbled to myself. The other two didn’t say anything. We all stayed where we were in silence, trying to figure out what was going on.

After what seemed like an eternity, the one named Rhys came back with a woman. She was also unbelievably beautiful. _If another hot person walks in here, I’m going to lose it_ , I groaned internally.

  
“I don’t think I am from around here,” I said to them before they could say anything.

  
“Where are you from then? The continent?” The new female asked. She and Rhys seemed to be together based on their closeness and how he held her hand.

  
I shook my head, “I mean, I think I am from a different world.”


	2. Chapter 2

Azriel leaned against the counter while the other three members of his family sat around the kitchen table. Arms crossed, he thought through everything he knew about Velaris, Prythian, the human continents, and the other Fae lands. Never in his five hundred years of existence did Azriel encounter or heard of traveling between worlds. He didn’t even realize there could be other worlds.

“Is that even possible? Different universes and traveling between them?” His High Lady looked to her mate and then to him. As Spymaster of the Night Court, it was his job to know anything and everything. But apart from finding threats and learning information for the court, Azriel enjoyed learning and reading about various topics. He found comfort in it, and he learned that knowing things outside of what he ‘needed’ helped him be better at his job. But now his High Lady needed information. Information he didn’t have.

“I could interrogate her,” Azriel suggested, already making a mental list of the tools he would need. Rhys nodded his head.

“You are not going to _interrogate_ her!” Mor glared at Rhys and then at Azriel. She knew full well what entailed in Azriel’s interrogations. At Mor’s glare, heat rose into Azriel’s cheeks, and he sunk a little into his shadows.

“We have to find out why she is here and what her motives are! It’s been six years since Hybern fell; this could be their retaliation.” Rhys ran a hand through his hair. Azriel had also been on edge. Since the war with Hybern, things had been quiet. Almost too quiet. He had gone to the island many times to keep tabs on it the first few years after the war. But, as the reports continuously came back peaceful, the less he needed to go. For the last two years, Azriel hadn’t gone to Hybern.

“Krishna seems harmless. And she seems to be telling the truth!” Mor retaliated.

“Why don’t Mor and I talk with her tomorrow?” Feyre suggested. Rhys went to say something, but Feyre took his hand in hers. They locked eyes, which could only mean they were communicating via their mating bond. Giving them some privacy, Azriel snuck a look at Mor. Her arms were crossed as she glared at her glass of wine.

“Fine.” Rhys let out a breath. “You and Feyre can speak with her tomorrow. But Azriel will be there.” The High Lord turned to Azriel, who gave a short nod in return. With that, Rhys and Feyre left the kitchen. Azriel tried to catch Mor’s eye, but she downed her wine and left the kitchen without so much as a glance at him. Sighing, the Spymaster picked up the glasses on the table and brought them to the sink. For the last couple of months, Mor and Azriel had been staying at the River Estate. Between the unrest happening in the Illyrian Camps, keeping the peace between the other courts and the human lands, and taking care of a child, Feyre and Rhysand needed all the help they could get.

Azriel headed up to the guest room to relieve Nuala and Cerridwen. He had asked the twins to keep an eye on the human while the others came up with a plan. Unsurprisingly, they had nothing out of the usual to report; Krishna paced around and eventually fell asleep. Azriel watched her for a few more minutes and then went to his room. If anything were to happen, his shadows would let him know.

Laying in his bed, he tried to wrap his head around all that happened today. The human appeared out of nowhere, stumbling at the base of the mountains, with nothing but one pack. The questions of ‘how had she come into this world?’ and ‘why was she here?’ were, of course, at the top of the things he wanted to find out. But there was something else that was nagging him. He felt a sense of familiarity when he and Mor found her. Even when he checked in on her earlier, he felt the same thing. Azriel didn’t know how, why, or from where, but he knew Krishna.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing from a different point of view was kind of tricky, especially with a character that we don't know much about, like Azriel. Much of Azriel's personality and inner thoughts are a combination of Sarah's writing in the books, Tumblr headcanons, and personal opinions! As always, comments and tips are happily welcomed and encouraged! Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Although the bed in the guest room was the comfiest beds I have ever slept on, I did not sleep well. Flashes of everyone I care about kept going through my head. I had woken up as the sun began peeking over the horizon, sorely disappointed that last night was not a dream. I noticed someone had lain out clothes for me, so I decided to take a shower. The clothes were simple leggings and a plain oversized, long sleeve top.

As I got ready, I replayed the night before in my head. I could tell that Rhys and Azriel did _not_ trust me, but I wouldn’t blame them. I did a shitty job of explaining myself, and the only reason I was not in some prison was because of Mor. She seemed to trust me or at least not want to kill me on sight.

I planned to give a better explanation as to who I was and where I came from now that I had some time to process. I rummaged through my things to see if there was anything I could show them to aide my story. My cell phone was still mostly charged, so I decided all of the pictures and videos might be an excellent place to start. Tears began forming in my eyes as I looked through the photos and videos now. One thought kept circling my brain: ‘ _What if I never see my friends and family ever again?’_. I took a deep breath and put my phone away. I pushed the thought away; It wasn’t going to help me find a way back.

I debated leaving my room and exploring the house. I had only seen the room I had woken up in and this guest bedroom last night. I was curious to see the place. Except, I didn’t think Rhys or Azriel would like it very much if they found a stranger wandering the house. So, I stayed in my room and waited for someone to come to get me. After about another hour or so, no one came. Stomach grumbling, I decided it was time to explore and find some food. I grabbed my bag and headed out the door.

The walls of the hallway were adorned with so many paintings. Some were of landscapes while others were of people. I recognized Mor, Azriel, Rhys, and the other woman, whose name I had learned was Feyre, in a lot of them, along with others I didn’t know. As I walked down the hall, some of the doors were painted intricately. At the top of the magnificent staircase was a massive portrait of Rhys and Feyre, which could only mean that this was their home. My face heated up a little. Rhys definitely wasn’t happy about it, but he and Feyre let a stranger into their home.

The smell of food hit as soon I stepped onto the foyer, and I followed the scent as it grew stronger. Finally, I found the dining room. On the table was a wide array of food ranging from fruits to bread to meat and condiments. Sitting at the table laughing were Mor and Feyre. I froze, not knowing whether I should leave them be or join them. Before I could decide, Feyre noticed me standing there.

“Good morning,” She smiled, “Why don’t you come and join us?” Mor gestured to the chair across the table from them. I smiled awkwardly and sat down.

“Are you hungry?” Mor pulled out a plate and handed it to me. I got some pastries and bread and some cheese and put my plate down in front of me.

“Thank you.” I smiled at them and began eating. The food was beyond terrific. Bread and cheese never tasted so good; I scarfed everything down. Feyre and Mor watched me as I ate, and I immediately became self-conscious and slowed down. “It was delicious,” I said once I had finished.

“Better than normal human food. I remember when I first came to the faerie lands, all the food tasted so much better than the food I was used to.” Feyre was smiling at me. _So it wasn’t just because I was hungry,_ I thought.

“How…Were you…um…human before?” The question felt weird. Never in my twenty-five years of existence did I anticipate asking a question like that

“I was. Then I died and was brought back to life as Fae,” Feyre explained as if it were the most normal thing in the world. I blinked a few times at her, trying to wrap my head around it.

“Is that how you guys,” I gestured at the two of them, “…Fae… are made?” Mor laughed, and heat rushed to my cheeks. “I’m sorry if it’s a stupid question.” I quickly added.

“Don’t be embarrassed. Fae are usually born like humans. My situation was…different.” I wanted to know more. I had so many questions about their species, this place, their lives, and so much more. But it didn’t feel right to ask them questions. Maybe under different circumstances, it would be more okay.

“Umm…Thank you for letting me stay here last night.” I shifted awkwardly in my seat, not knowing how else to bring up last night and my world. The two women looked at each other and then back at me.

“Of course.” Feyre gave a small nod.

“We would like to know more about you and your world,” Mor said. She poured a cup of juice and sat back. Feyre sat up, ready to pay attention. I looked at both of them and nodded.

“What would you like to know?”

“Mainly how and why are you here?” Feyre splayed her hands, palms upwards on the table. I let out a breath.

“I’m really sorry, but I don’t know how I am here. I can tell you that I was walking in the woods behind my home, which I do pretty often. Except, I was looking at my phone for a little bit, and when I looked up, the woods looked different. As for why, I don’t know that either. I had no intention of being here.” They looked at each other again. I chewed the inside of my cheek, hoping they believed me.

“What’s a ‘phone’?” Mor asked, turning back to me. Relieved that I could actually answer this question, I reached into my bag. Feyre and Mor tensed and eyed my every movement as I brought out my cell phone. They gaped at the small rectangular device. “What does it do?”

“Umm, it’s basically a communication device. So you can call another person and talk to them, or you can send written messages if you can’t or don’t want to talk. I guess because technology is pretty advanced, you can do more with it, like take photos and videos.” I unlocked my phone and showed them some of the pictures and videos I had.

“How does it work?” Feyre stared at it, mystified.

“I don’t really know the science behind it, but umm, here.” I took a picture of the two of them and showed it to them. Again, they were baffled. I scrolled through my camera roll as they watched. I pulled up a picture of my family, figuring that it was a good place to start telling them more about myself. “So these are my parents, and this is my older sister. She is about four years older than me.” From there, I flipped through different photos, showing them where I lived, my best friends, my boyfriend, Tom, and what I did. As I spoke, Mor and Feyre listened intently. Every so often, they would stop me and ask me questions, usually for an explanation of what various things, like cars, computers, music, etc. were. I tried to explain things to the best of my ability. I told them the more objective parts of my life, making sure I didn’t go into too much personal detail. They didn’t need to know certain aspects.

While I spoke, two women, twins, brought out more food for us. No one touched it. Mor and Feyre were invested in what I was saying, and I was busy talking, afraid if I stopped, I would lose my train of thought. Eventually, everything I could think of was said. I let out a sigh and leaned back into my seat. Mor and Feyre just stared, digesting.

“What’s on your face?” Mor asked after a few minutes. Instinctively, I reached up and cocked my head in confusion. She pointed to her eyes, and understanding dawned on me.

“You guys don’t have glasses here?” I was jealous. I hated not being able to see. They both shook their heads. “Well, um, these help me see. While growing up, the shape of my eyeballs changed, and I stopped being able to see far away things. These make it so I can see those things.” I took them off and handed them my glasses to they could look at them. Both of them instantly became blurry. When they gave me back my glasses, I saw that their expressions showed so much worry. I chuckled, “It’s very, very common in my world. A lot of people have glasses. They even developed ways to fix it, but you have to be older to have that procedure done.” They didn’t look convinced.

“But, you weren’t wearing them when we found you.” Mor narrowed her eyes. I took my contacts case out and explained that to them. Feyre rubbed her head. It was a lot to take in. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat as they processed everything they heard. I hoped they didn’t ask any more questions, partly because I was exhausted and partly because I wasn’t ready to open up to them more than I already had. While Mor and Feyre seemed kind, there were very few people who truly saw and knew me at my most vulnerable. When I thought about those few people, sadness and worry overwhelmed me. I rubbed my eyes before the tears could spill.

“Will I ever get back home?” I asked softly. Feyre reached for my hand, understanding in some way.

“You got here somehow, so there has to be a way to get you back. We will do everything we can to help you.” Feyre promised. Mor took my other hand and nodded her head. They were so kind, and I thanked any higher power that landed me in this situation. There are so many ways that it could’ve gone wrong. “Until then, you are welcome to stay with us.” Feyre squeezed my hand, and I gave them a grateful smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Feedback and comments are always appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

“Well?” Rhys was standing in front of his desk at the House of Wind. Azriel had flown straight there after Mor and Feyre finished talking with Krishna. His head ached with all the new information. Feyre had asked him to stay in the shadows and listen so that he didn’t scare their guest. Azriel didn’t argue partly because his High Lady was asking and partially because he agreed. But there were times he wanted to reveal himself and ask questions.

“I don’t think she poses a threat to Velaris and us.” Azriel knew Feyre most likely shared everything she had learned with her mate, but Rhys wanted Azriel’s thoughts. And Azriel did believe she wasn’t there as an enemy. But Krishna was hiding something.

“Mmm, I don’t think so either. But I still don’t trust her. I don’t want her anywhere near Arche.” The unspoken ask remained in the air. Azriel nodded once. Rhys wanted him to keep an eye on Krishna. Easy enough. This could be the perfect opportunity for Azriel to figure out how he knew her. And maybe get some of his questions answered.

“Az, are you okay?” Azriel’s shadows had begun swirling as he became engrossed in his thoughts. Immediately, he reeled them back in. Rhys was watching him closely.

“Yes.” There was no reason for Azriel to tell anyone. At least not yet. Not until he figured out how he knew Krishna.

“Be discreet. Mor was right; we don’t want to scare her. Especially now that we know, she isn’t a threat.” Rhys shifted the subject. He knew better than to press the Shadowsinger. Azriel nodded once more and exited the office. Now, time to find Krishna.

«

Azriel found Krishna with Mor, exploring the streets of Velaris. As per Rhys’s request, Azriel stayed hidden. He watched Mor animatedly explain and point out important places while Krishna looked around, eyes wide. He gazed sadly at Mor.

Mor and Azriel were finally back to some semblance of normalcy. A few years after the war with Hybern, Mor asked to speak with him about something. Azriel already knew what she was going to tell him. Well, not precisely _knew_ , but a feeling. She didn’t love him the way he loved her. He had been ready for that knew. But he wasn’t prepared for the rest. He wasn’t ready to learn that she _couldn’t_ love him back. Because she was attracted to females. After she had told him, Azriel spent weeks, secluded, trying to wrap his head around it. Not because he didn’t believe or support Mor, but because he thought he knew everything about her. Although after Azriel thought about it, it made sense. When he came back, his relationship with Mor was strained at best. It took up until a few months ago for them to get back to their friendship.

Watching her now, Azriel had made peace with never being with her. He loved her and will always love her. But now he could move on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to update! I was in the middle of moving, so that was a bit crazy. This chapter is really a filler for some background info I wanted to add. Thanks for reading!!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Arche is pronounced like "Archie"

The Rainbow was one of the most beautiful places. In the two weeks I’ve been in Velaris, its beauty never ceases to take my breath away. Exploring the city had become one of my favorite things to do when I was not researching ways to get back home. The Rainbow had quickly become my favorite place. I was not an artist, not even close, but I loved seeing all the vibrant colors and beautiful people expressing themselves.

The sun began setting, so I decided to make my way back to the estate. There was a pile of books that I needed to get through. So far, I hadn’t found anything useful. I would try and offset the panic I felt by taking a walk or helping around the house. Except, no one ever needed my help. I was beginning to feel like a nuisance. Sometimes, I would walk in on them having an important meeting, and the topic would immediately change. Feyre and Mor would try their best to make it seem casual, but I still felt out of place. The worst was that I knew Rhys didn’t trust me. I tried to avoid him at all costs.

I said a silent prayer, hoping they weren’t in a meeting, as I opened the front door. Instead, I found the place nearly silent. I heard some commotion coming from the family room, so I made way there. To my surprise, a small child was running around and giggling. He looked to be about two years old. He stopped playing with his toys when he noticed me. Since there wasn’t an adult in the room, I didn’t feel comfortable approaching him, but I smiled and waved at him. Curious, he toddled over.

“Hey, buddy! I’m Krishna.” I softened my voice and got down on my knees, and he stared at me while remaining an arm’s length away. I made a funny face and earned a smile from him. I made a few more funny faces to which he giggled and came to sit on my lap. He was absolutely adorable.

Someone gasped. I looked up from the child to find Mor at the entrance to the room, eyes wide. The kid was still in my lap, but when he saw Mor, he squealed and ran to her. She picked him up and carried him over, glancing at me every few seconds.

“You’re back early!” Mor commented. She began cleaning up the toys that were around the room. I couldn’t help getting the feeling I wasn’t supposed to meet him. I shifted my feet, cheeks getting warm.

“I can go to my room.” I offered. Mor looked at me again, and her expression softened. She stopped picking up the toys.

“I _told_ him it was ridiculous.” She murmured, but loud enough for me to hear. I sat down next to her. She smiled at me, “This is Arche. Feyre and Rhys’ son.” Looking at Arche now, I saw the similarities he shared with his parents. He had his father’s dark hair mix of his parents’ eyes.

“He is adorable,” I responded, taking a toy Arche wanted me to have. Mor nodded and giggled as Arche tried to climb on her lap.

Suddenly Rhys walked in and froze. A darkness overcame the room. Mor abruptly stood up and stood slightly in front of me. A few moments later, Azriel burst into the space next to Rhys. Like out of thin air. I was shocked by Azriel’s sudden appearance, but I didn’t have time to process, because the menacing look on Rhys’ face sent my stomach to my feet. No one moved. Or spoke. Slowly, ever so slowly, Rhys turned to Azriel. His face was unreadable as he met Rhys’ glare. They stared at each other, one glaring the other stone-faced.

Arche noticed his dad, squealed gleefully, and ran to him, wrapping his little arms around his legs. That action seemed to deflate Rhys’ anger because the room lightened as he picked up his son. Mor slightly relaxed as well.

“I’m sorry,” I said, even though I didn’t know why. It felt appropriate. Rhys finally turned his attention to me. “I didn’t know…” I trailed off, not knowing what I was trying to say. Rhys visibly sighed.

“We couldn’t hide him forever.”

“I understand why,” Everyone looked at me, “you didn’t want me to know about him.” Rhys put Arche down with his toys and sat down next to his son. Azriel leaned against the wall, and Mor and I sat back down on the couch. Rhys appeared so much more relaxed sitting next to Arche. He brought one of his toys to me and crawled into my lap. I smiled at Arche and played with him, while stealing glances at Rhys, ensuring he was okay with me playing with his son. But Rhys’ face remained relaxed.

“He likes you,” Rhys commented after a while. I smiled and blushed. “I had to hide him," he started to explain, but I shook my head.

“Like I said, I understand. You’re Arche's father, and you were only trying to protect him.” An idea popped into my head. “If you ever need help watching him or taking care of him, I would be more than happy to help out. It’s the least I could do.” It was the perfect way for me to help out, and it was something I was good at.

“I’ll have to talk to Feyre about it,” Rhys said after a moment of thought. I blinked but then smiled. I was expecting him to reject the notion outright.

«

The next morning, while I was eating breakfast, Feyre and Rhys found me. Feyre sat down in the chair next to me, while Rhys remained standing behind her, hand on her shoulder. They were such a beautiful couple. Not just physically. The way they spoke to each other and how they interacted, I could see how much they loved and respected each other.

“Rhys told me you met Arche last night.” Feyre beamed, “He also told me what you offered.” My heart beat faster. I wasn’t sure why I was nervous. It was as if I was receiving a response on an application. “It was funny because Rhys and I have been trying to find someone to watch him. We’ve interviewed people, but they just didn’t fit. And there is only so much that Mor, Azriel, and Cassian can do while also attending their other duties. I think,” She put a hand over Rhys’ and smiled up at him, “ _We_ think it would be wonderful to have you watch Arche.” My heart skipped a beat.

“Are you sure? I mean, I am a stranger, so I would completely understand if you didn’t want me to.” After I let their decision sink in. I know I offered to help, but I wasn’t expecting them to agree. Especially Rhys, who I believed hated me. As if he could read my mind, Rhys spoke.

“Yes, we are sure.” Feyre squeezed Rhys’ hand, and he sighed. “I wanted to apologize. I, um, was cold to you, and you didn’t deserve that. And I don’t hate you.” He smirked at the end. I gaped at him and then Feyre.

“How…?”

“I asked Azriel to keep an eye on you. To make sure you weren’t a threat.”

“Oh.” I didn’t know what else to say. I knew it was a possibility they were keeping an eye on me somehow. But it was weird knowing Rhys had _asked_ Azriel to watch me. Azriel. The intimidating, silent guy with wings. _Oh god_ , I thought as I recounted all of the embarrassing things I had done in the past two weeks. Heat rushed to my cheeks. Rhys apologized again. “I understand why. It’s weird, though, knowing I was being watched. Anyways, I would love to babysit Arche whenever you guys need me to.”

“Thank you.” Rhys smiled. It was a genuine smile, full of warmth that made me smile in return.

“Is there anything specific I need to know?” Feyre and Rhys glanced at each other and then back at me.

“Why don’t we have lunch today, and we can talk about it,” Feyre suggested, and I nodded in agreement. They turned to leave, but I cleared my throat, needing to ask them something.

“Is Azriel… going to keep um… _watching_ me?” I fidgeted with the hair tie on my wrist. On cue, the winged man appeared out of the shadows. I jumped. He didn’t say anything but looked to Rhys. They silently communicated, something I only recently learned they could do. I had been in the living room with Feyre, Mor, and Rhys talking about random things. At one point, Rhys and Feyre stared at each other for minutes on end. I was so confused and asked Mor if they were okay, and she explained they were communicating via their “mating bond”. Her explanation left me even more confused. But apparently, Rhys could read minds, and he could convey messages to others as well. It was all so strange to me.

“Azriel isn’t going to watch you anymore.” Rhys finally said. With a nod to Azriel and me, the couple disappeared. I shot little glances towards Azriel, not knowing what to say or do. Especially knowing he had been watching me when I thought I was alone. _God, he is beautiful,_ I thought to myself. Guilt churned in my stomach. I had a wonderful boyfriend at home, and I shouldn’t be ogling other men when Tom didn’t even know where I was. I sighed, sadly, and focused on the books in front of me.

“I could help you if you’d like.” Azriel had moved to stand across the table from me. I hadn’t even noticed him move.

“Huh?” He gestured to the books, “Oh, yeah, that would be great. Thanks.” I tried not to move a muscle as Azriel took the seat across from me. While Rhys expressed his disliking of me, Azriel was a different story. I couldn’t tell what he thought, and it made me uneasy, particularly since he spent two weeks observing me. I wanted to ask him what he saw. Instead, we read in silence.

«

Azriel didn’t need his shadows to tell him Krishna was nervous. She kept glancing up at him, then quickly looking back at her book, and fidgeting with her hair-tie. The Shadowsinger kept his shadows on lock, trying not to scare her. For some reason, he felt guilty spying on her. Deep down, he had known she wasn’t a threat, but Azriel had to follow orders. Last night, he took a chance and left Krishna to walk around the Rainbow. But she came home earlier than he had anticipated and met Arche. Rhys was furious with him, but Azriel stood by his decision. He had tried to tell Rhys, Krishna would eventually run into Arche.

Azriel counted on figuring out how he knew Krishna in these two weeks. Krishna spent most of her days reading or walking around Velaris. Azriel loved seeing her excitement when she learned something new or how she regarded all Fae with awe, even the lesser Fae. But he didn’t learn anything that explained how he knew her. He had planned to help her in her research, but Rhys ruined his plan by telling Krishna Azriel was spying on her. Now, he had to deal with the awkwardness that came with her knowing. Krishna glanced at him again, and Azriel silently cursed his High Lord.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I appreciate you all so much! As always, feedback is welcomed!


	6. Chapter 6

The gentle breeze blew around Azriel and me as we read on the roof of the estate. I finally got the chance to start reading again. Taking care of Arche took way more time than I had anticipated. But I loved it. He was a joy, and working with him helped keep my mind off of going home. Now that I knew the secret, everyone was much more relaxed around me. Rhys even seemed to warm up to me.

I turned my attention back to the book. I reread the sentence where I had zoned out. Then reread it again. I jumped up and reread the entire page. My heart beat faster as I read the page for the third time, making sure I understood. I turned to Azriel as I gathered my thoughts. This could be it. This is how I could get home. Azriel was watching me, face unreadable as usual. I sat back down and took a breath. “I think I found something.”

“Really?” I went to nod my head earnestly but noticed a slight smile playing on his lips. Sarcasm. He was being sarcastic. I rolled my eyes and brushed off my mild shock as I showed him what I found.

“Here, it talks about winnowing! Where a person can transport yourself to a different location! That could be how I got here!” Some emotion flashed in his eyes as he looked at the book. I waited for him to say something. Azriel handed the book back to me, and I eagerly awaited his response. He didn’t seem as excited as I was, but he didn’t seem to express many of his emotions. He turned to face me.

“You didn’t winnow. Only some Fae can winnow, and how far they go depends on their magic reserves and how much training they’ve had. The only humans that can winnow are the queens in the human lands.” His voice was soft and warm, not detached like it usually is. I let his words sink in.

“How does it work?” He watched me for a second before replying.

“All locations are points on a plane of existence. When you winnow, you bend the plane, connecting the point where you are and where you want to go. Once the place where you are and the place where you want to be are next to each other, you just take a step.” Azriel was studying me closely. I took care not to make eye contact and thought for a moment.

“Theoretically, I could’ve winnowed. Because I could’ve bent the plane.” I reasoned. I wasn’t ready to give up on this theory. It was the only thing I found that made any sense as to how I got to Velaris.

“Maybe, but it’s unlikely. While someone is winnowing, they experience going through the dark void of space. The longer the distance, the more you feel it. In your case, you would’ve felt and been in the dark for presumably a long while. From your description of how you got here, it didn’t seem like you did.” I nodded my head once. So, we were back to square one. I stared helplessly at the book on my lap. I didn’t dare look at Azriel; I could _feel_ the pity emanating from him. My eyes stung, and I struggled to breathe. I needed to get out of there. I mumbled an excuse and quickly left the roof. I prayed no one stopped me on my way to my room because I didn’t know if I would be able to stop myself from falling apart any longer than necessary.

Almost to my room, I spotted a winged man from the corner of my eye. I froze. He didn’t seem to have noticed me, so I bolted to my room. I shut the door and leaned against it, slowly sliding down to the floor. The reality of not being able to go back home hit me with full force. A sob racked my body. Flashes of the people and places I love and that I may never see again took root in my brain. _I’m never going home; I’m never going home_ , chorused in my head. Each breath I tried to take brought on a new wave to tears. I was never going to go home. How was I supposed to start a life here? I didn’t know anything about anything. I was a human in a land of magic and Fae. I missed the comfort of understanding the world around me. I missed my family. Nearly two months. That’s how long I have been gone. What does everyone think happened to me? How could I have left them? And the most glaring thought that came to me, _I can never apologize for what I did to my sister._

After my body had expunged all of its tears and was exhausted from crying, I lay on the floor for what seemed like hours, numb. I knew I should get up, clean myself, and make a plan, but I couldn’t move. I must have dozed off because when I opened my eyes again, it was dark. Mustering up whatever energy left in me, I sat up. My muscles groaned in protest, and my joints popped. _Wash my face_ was the most straightforward task I could think of to do. I took a deep breath as I looked at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. My face was red and puffy, with dried tear tracks on my cheeks. The cool water helped, but my eyes were still a little red. It would have to do.

My stomach grumbled, but I didn’t want to venture downstairs. I was in no condition to speak to anybody. I ignored it and went about finding my nightclothes. Lay in bed was all I wanted to do. My stomach grumbled again, this time a little more painfully. I groaned. _Quickly grab some snacks and bring them back here,_ I planned. Hopefully, everyone was out. Just in case they weren’t, I tried to be as quiet as possible. It was most likely useless, with their superhuman hearing, but I tried anyway. Laughter erupted from the living room.

I froze. Going back to my room and hiding out only meant someone could come and find me. And I didn’t want that. I opened the front door and slipped out, hoping no one heard me. If they did, no one came to stop me, for which I was grateful.

I saw Velaris in a new light. Before, the city was viewed from the eyes of a tourist. But now, it was potentially my new home—a place to make a new life and spend the rest of my days. I paid more attention to the shops and restaurants I passed by, taking note of the ones I visited and liked. The people, or Fae, stuck out more too. Their differences and similarities and how they interacted with one another. I realized I rarely, if ever, saw any humans. If I were going to make a home here, I would stick out like a sore thumb.

A familiar blond was speaking with someone outside of what looked like a bar. I was about to turn around when Mor called out to me. Sighing, I put on a smile and walked over to her.

“Fancy seeing you here! I thought you’d be holed up reading.”

“I decided to take a break.” Her friend’s short blood-red hair contrasted vividly with her light blue skin and the two horns sticking out from her head. I tried not to stare, but she was eying me. _I should get used to it if I’m going to live here_ , I thought to myself. Mor looked from her friend to me.

“This is Dreah! Dreah, this is Krishna!” Mor introduced us to each other. I awkwardly held out my hand for her to shake. Dreah gave me a small smile, and her blue hand took mine. Mor smiled and nodded in her direction. The female smiled at Mor and went back inside the bar. “I was about to head back to the house if you want to come with me.”

I shook my head, “Could I talk to you before we head back?” If anyone could help me figure things out, it would be Mor. She looped my arm in hers and led me to a bench by the Sidra. I sighed as she looks at me, expectantly. I faced the water because if I looked at her, I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold it together. “I think… I think I need to start figuring out how to make a life here.” She wrapped her arms around me, and I leaned into her. Surprisingly, I didn’t cry but felt as though things might just be okay.

After our hug, Mor and I talked a little more about what I was going to do. She made me promise that I wouldn’t give up hope about finding a way home. She also offered to let me move into her apartment with her, which I said I would think about. It was nice talking with Mor and, although I was still sad and anxious, I felt a little better having some plan.

She winnowed us back to the estate. Now, after experiencing what winnowing felt like, Azriel had been right. I didn’t winnow to Velaris.

“Look who I found!” Mor put an arm around me and gave my shoulder a comforting squeeze. I hadn’t told her everything about how I was feeling, but she had guessed some of it. She reassured me that everyone would be okay with me staying, but that wasn’t all of it. I didn’t want to be a burden on them or someone they had to provide for. The next step was to talk to Rhys. However, she told me just to relax tonight. And meet Cassian and Amren, who had returned from their respective trips. Relaxing was easier said than done.

The winged man from earlier made his way towards me. He was tall and tan, just like Azriel. But his hair was longer and seemed more rugged in comparison.

“You must be Cassian.” I held out my hand for him to shake. Taking my hand, he dramatically bowed and planted a kiss on top of it, and winks. I shook my head. Everyone had told me he was an incessant flirt.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” I gave him the best smile I could muster. I looked around the room for Amren so that I could get that introduction out of the way. But the small lady didn’t seem to be paying any attention to what was going on around her. She kept shuffling away from Arche and glared every time he moved closer to her. He would dissolve into a fit of giggles when she moved, believing they were playing some kind of game.

Throughout the evening, I tried to be as present as possible, but it was hard. Azriel kept glancing at me, but as usual, I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. So, I did my best to avoid talking to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I know it was a little bit since I last updated, but grad school has been taking up most of my time! I will try and update more during the holiday! Thank you for your continued support! <3


	7. Chapter 7

As tired as I had been earlier, I was wide awake now. I couldn’t fall asleep, so I had decided to get some fresh air. The stars and night sky were beautiful and peaceful in Velaris. Beautiful was an understatement. With every night like this, it was a wonder that the people weren’t nocturnal. There were worse places to start a new life.

I sighed and pulled the blanket I’d brought up closer. The night was chilly, with Fall nearly in full swing. Even though I had a semblance of a plan, my heart still hurt. _Why did this happen to me_ , I thought and scowled at the open air. My life was finally good. I was in a fantastic school program (and it was going well), I had a kind and loving boyfriend, and most importantly, I finally felt in control of my demons. There were bad days, but they were never devastating anymore.

I shifted in the chair and yelped, “fuck”. Azriel was standing there with a tray in his hands. I hadn’t seen or heard him come up.

“We didn’t see you at dinner. I thought you would like something to eat.” He said as he set the tray down on the table next to my chair.

“I'm alright, but thanks,” I responded, but the aroma of the soup hit my nose, and my stomach grumbled, giving me away.

“There is no meat in it.” He commented when I eyed the soup. I raised my eyebrows in shock. I almost asked how he knew I was a vegetarian, but I remembered he spent weeks observing me.

“Thanks,” I mumbled and reached for the food. A groan escaped my mouth as I ate a bite. After the first bite, the full force of hunger hit me, and I began shoveling the soup into my mouth. I expected Azriel to leave me to my eating, but instead, he sat in the iron lounge chair on the other side of the table. He sat peacefully, watching the night sky like I had been, while I finished eating.

I placed the empty bowl of soup and the half-eaten bread back on the tray. I settled back into my seat, comfortable with the silence.

After a few moments, Azriel spoke. “Are you –” but I shook my head, cutting him off. I didn’t want to talk about today. Thankfully, Azriel didn’t push further.

“What does being Spymaster entail?” I asked, partly because I wanted to know and partly because I wanted to think about something else. Azriel’s face became an unreadable mask again, and I got the feeling I wasn’t supposed to ask.

“As a spymaster, it is my job to know things.” He shrugged. A simple answer. There was more to it.

“What kind of things?”

“Information about the other courts, whereabouts of our enemies and potential enemies, things like that.” Another shrug.

“'Potential enemies.' Guess that explains the spying,” I mused. But he didn’t smile.

“I’m…sorry.” He said after a moment.

“It was a joke. I get why you did it.” I smiled at him. He only looked at me. “So, do all spymasters, um, talk to the shadows?”

“No.” He said softly. There was some sort of emotion there that I couldn’t place. I went to ask about it, but then I saw his face. Gone was the usual unreadable mask. There were pain and sorrow etched there. I chewed on the inside of my cheek.

“Have you ever used them to play tricks on the others?” I asked, shifting the subject a bit. I grinned at the thought, imagining the serious man sitting next to me, jumping out of the shadows and scaring the others. Azriel chuckled softly.

“Centuries ago, if I were annoyed at one of them, I would. Except, one time, I was spying on Cassian while he was…well, being Cassian…and I came out of the shadows and scared him. Only, as a commander, his first instinct was to punch me. I had a bruise on my face for weeks.” I laughed, the image of Cassian screaming and punching Azriel forming in my head. I met Azriel’s eyes. A small smile played on his lips.

 _Centuries._ The word echoed through me. They were _hundreds_ of years old. And they only appeared to be in their late 20's. They probably thought me a child in comparison. The things they had probably seen. I went to ask, but a yawn took over.

“I should get to bed.” I rearranged my blanket so I could grab the tray. But Azriel beat me to it.

“Go to bed; I can put these away.” We walked in silence back down into the house from the roof. I realized I _enjoyed_ being around Azriel. But not in the same way I liked being around the others. Even though I was sometimes intimidated by him, it was peaceful. There was never any pressure to talk, and with all that happened, it was nice to sort through my feelings on my own. But I knew he would listen if I did want to talk. In the few weeks he had been helping me, Azriel asked me about my life, but he never pushed me if I didn’t want to talk about it. In turn, he told me about Velaris, the Night Court, Prythian, and Faeries. While fascinating, the information sometimes became overwhelming. I had to spend time processing. But I always had follow-up questions.

“Thank you,” I said once we reached the door to my room. Not just for the food. Seeming to understand, he bowed his head once before venturing down to the kitchen.

I paced outside of Rhys’s study, trying to muster up the courage to go in. I kept telling myself there was no reason to be as nervous as I was, but I had been outside the door for a good 20 minutes now.

Taking a deep breath, I wiped my sweaty palms on the side of my leggings. I raised my hand to knock on the door, but before my hand made contact with the door, a “come in” sounded from the other side. Of course, Rhys probably heard me pacing outside.

I hadn’t been in his study yet, worried that it would be off-limits. But it was not what I expected. The room was bright and comfortable, more formal than the rest of the house, but still casual. There were paintings on the walls that didn’t have the floor to ceiling bookshelf. A beautiful loveseat and two large chairs were in the center of the room. Rhys sat at a desk by the large window. My heart sunk a little when I didn’t see Feyre. It would have been easier if she was here as I hadn’t really spent any one on one time with Rhys. Not to mention that he might not still like me that much.

Rhys smiled and gestured to the loveseat. I took the seat on the right, and he came around the desk and took the seat on the left.

“I don’t know if Mor told you anything,” I started, shifting in my seat.

“She didn’t tell me anything.”

“Oh –” I shifted in my seat again “—okay. I realized maybe I should start planning to make a life here. It’s been almost three months, and we haven’t found anything to help me get back.” I didn’t look at him. “And I can go somewhere else, to another Court or something, because you have been incredibly welcoming already, and I wouldn’t want you to feel like you had to let me stay here,” I rambled, glancing at Rhys. He was smiling softly.

“If you would like to move to a different Court and start a life there, we would help you. But you _are_ more than welcome to stay here in Velaris. It’s your choice.” I sagged in relief at his words. I didn’t _want_ to go to another Court. Here was familiar, and I didn’t want to move to another strange place in a strange world that I was barely starting to understand.

“I would _really_ like to stay here. Thank you.” I gave him a small smile. Now, on to the next part I wanted to talk to him about. “As much as I love taking care of Arche, I think I need to get a paying job. That way, I could get my own place.”

“Who said you aren’t getting paid?” He smirked. I stared at him.

“I didn’t…I mean…what?”

“We _are_ paying you to take care of Arche.” He chuckled a little bit.

“It was supposed to be a way for _me_ to thank _you_ for letting me stay here and providing for me,” I said a bit incredulously.

“We were looking to hire someone anyway when you offered.” He shrugged. “And as for getting your own place, you don’t have to. There is more than enough space here for you to stay here. But if you want to get a place of your own, we understand.” I didn’t know what to say. Mor had told me he would tell me something similar, but I hadn’t believed her.

“Thank you,” I said breathlessly. I _really_ could have been fucked over if I’d been somewhere else. Now relaxed, I leaned back into the couch. “Why?” I didn’t need to elaborate. He shrugged again.

“I didn’t trust you at first. It was mainly Mor and Feyre that convinced me to let you stay. And after seeing how incredible you are with Arche, I knew you wouldn’t hurt him or my family.” He smiled warmly at me, which I returned. He continued more softly, “Plus, my mother would have done the same thing.” There was a flash of sadness, but then it was gone.

“Could I give you a hug?” I asked, tentatively, as we both stood. He nodded, and I wrapped my arms around his torso for a quick squeeze. “I was also thinking about taking Arche to get some ice cream.”

“Take Cassian with you. He’ll be as excited as Arche.” I chuckled as I left the study to find the winged man.

« 

Azriel found Rhys in his study. A strange sight. Usually, his brother was handling things in person or at the House of Wind, rarely doing paperwork in his study at the River Estate.

Krishna’s scent lingered in the room, but Azriel couldn’t think much about it. There were more pressing matters. “There is news,” he said as a way of announcing himself.

“Az! What is it?” Rhys put aside the document he was reading.

“There have been reports of missing fae all over Prythian and the continent. Both High Fae and faeries alike.” The reports from his spies had come flooding in before sunrise. Slightly panicked. Azriel tried to get more information from his spies, but they didn’t have much more to give. Azriel spent the morning and early afternoon reviewing the missing fae reports to see if anything was related.

A grim expression settled on Rhys’s face. “I have heard there have been a few missing Fae across the territory, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.”

“There was one more thing. All of the missing Fae are young,” Azriel thought back to what he learned, “Just having come into their full power or about to.” He didn’t need his spies or shadows to know precisely where Rhys’s first thought went. It was where Azriel’s first thought went as well when he heard the news. “We won’t let anything happen to Arche,” Azriel promised.

“Do we know who?” Rhys’s voice was low. The voice of the High Lord.

Azriel shook his head slightly. “My spies are looking for answers now.”

“I’m not sure if it is Hybern or not, but I need to be certain.”

“I’ll take a look.” Rhys nodded once.

“Where were the others from?” Rhys asked softly.

“Four from Day, five from Dawn, three from Summer, and four from Autumn,” Azriel recounted the list. Rhys swore.

“That’s twenty in Prythian, including the four from here.” Rhys ran a rand through his hair. Azriel was sure his brother was blaming himself for not being able to protect his people. Azriel blamed himself too. He should have taken action after the first fae went missing. Instead, he was distracted. Let a few years of relative peace make him lax.

“I’ll see what information I can gather,” Azriel said. With a nod to Rhys, he disappeared into his shadows and willed them to take him to Hybern. He would _not_ be distracted anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! <3


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